A 14-year-old climbing prodigy and her Butoh-dancing dad try not to fall apart—literally and emotionally.
One of the world’s youngest elite rock climbers, Ashima Shiraishi spent her formative years breaking numerous age-based climbing milestones, spurred on by her number one fan and coach, her father, Poppo a retired Butoh dancer and avant-garde performer with no formal climbing experience. When these New Yorkers travel to South Africa to conquer a V14 boulder problem, father and daughter must face their interpersonal struggles in tandem with the challenging ascent.
Direction
Tsukamoto lets silences breathe like holds on a boulder.
Practical Effects
Zero CGI—every chalked finger and scraped knee is real.
Acting
Poppo's unguarded vulnerability steals scenes from pros.
Director
Kenji Tsukamoto
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Butoh, Poppo's dance form, emerged post-WWII Japan as an art of darkness and transformation—fitting baggage for a climbing coach.
Ashima was the first woman and youngest person to climb V15; this film captures the moment before that record, when failure still felt possible.
US
